Severance package to former county manager tops $222,000

Published: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 07:57 PM.

Gaston County commissioners who orchestrated the resignation of their longtime county manager defended their handling of the matter Friday.

Jan Winters, a California native and former county manager in Florida, made $171,030 a year. He will now be entitled to six months of severance pay and insurance, plus other accrued benefits totaling more than $222,000.

Gaston County commissioners who orchestrated the resignation of their longtime county manager defended their handling of the matter Friday.

Jan Winters, a California native and former county manager in Florida, made $171,030 a year. He will now be entitled to six months of severance pay and insurance, plus other accrued benefits totaling more than $222,000.

Following a closed session meeting Thursday night, commissioners voted 4-1 to accept Winters’ resignation. He had been the county manager more than 11 years.

Commission Chairman Mickey Price voted against the resignation. Winters could not be reached for comment Thursday night or Friday.

Assistant County Manager Phil Ponder was appointed as interim county manager Thursday. Commissioners have not discussed a timeline for hiring a permanent successor.

But in another wrinkle Friday evening, Ponder emailed all of the commissioners to make it clear he doesn’t want the interim responsibility.

“Under the circumstances, I feel it would be better if someone else filled this role,” Ponder wrote. “My views about the functioning of the form of government are far more rigid than those of Jan Winters, so I feel my assumption of the interim role will only lead to friction that will be beneficial to no one.”

Criticism on both sides

The vote on accepting the manager’s resignation took place after two of Winters’ supporters on the county board refused to participate in a private discussion about his job performance. Commissioners Tom Keigher and Joe Carpenter had both left the Gaston County Courthouse by the time the closed session ended.

Keigher criticized commissioners Chad Brown, Alan Fraley, Tracy Philbeck and Jason Williams — who voted to accept the resignation — for devising a plan ahead of time to oust Winters. Keigher said it was improper for the majority four to team-up before the meeting and amass support, outside of the public eye.

“I can respect a majority decision of the board, but I cannot respect backroom deals where a decision was made,” said Keigher on Thursday. “Only a fool wouldn’t think it had been talked out (before the meeting).”

Williams and Philbeck said Keigher was being hypocritical.

Keigher said Thursday night that after conferring with other commissioners, he realized there wasn’t enough backing for the 5.4-percent tax increase he supported.

Philbeck said that proves Keigher was talking to other commissioners ahead of time about public issues, just like he was.

Backroom deal or not?

Philbeck and Williams said they did nothing wrong in talking outside of a formal county commission meeting.

State law forbids a majority of an elected board from privately discussing public business. But it doesn’t bar commissioners on a seven-member board from sharing their opinions with one another in pairs or threes.

“What you have to do is follow the law,” said Philbeck. “The law doesn’t say commissioners can’t talk. The law says you can’t get a majority of the board together and decide on matters behind closed doors.”

Williams said he regrets that Thursday night’s meeting turned into “a sideshow.”

“We tried to handle this with as much class and respect for Mr. Winters as possible,” he said. “I hate the way it ultimately went down.”

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.

By the numbers

$222,694 .76 - The total cash value of the compensation former Gaston County Manager Jan Winters will receive

$85,515.43 - What Winters will receive for six months worth of salary.

$82,884.21 - What Winters will receive for unused sick time

$26,970.26 - What Winters will receive for unused vacation time

$23,053.88 - Will cover the cost of insurance and retirement matches for Winters

$4,270.98 - What Winters will receive in longevity pay

*Winters picked up his check around 4:30 p.m. Friday, according to county officials.